*Shortlisted

Review by Jack, King Edward’s School, Witley 
What a masterpiece by Anna Woltz. For me reading this book for the first time, I was amazed by how Woltz created a small group of friends who seemed completely separated from the rest of Britain in this war-torn time. The group is made of completely contrasting characters, with two poor, disadvantaged characters and two siblings from fortunate backgrounds. The narrative perfectly shows the impact of war; the rich and poor are in the same boat, having to deal with the same problems, causing a reunion between former friends. An injured, perfect girl meets a selfish, troublesome boy, and they manage to find love through the trauma. Don’t forget the excitable younger brother, who brings joy out of any situation. For instance, in the middle of a blitz attack, why not see the loose monkeys? He always lightens the situation. This blend of characters creates an environment where you can’t help but turn the next page as the story grips you tight and doesn’t let go. This really is a brilliant piece from Woltz that shows the circumstances of war. I highly recommend this book to any keen readers who are interested in World War II or want to find a story that they will never forget.  

Review by Amira, Robert Smyth Academy 
I thought the book was a true adventure through the Blitz. It was about four teenagers who had their own unique story and found each other in an underground tunnel. The book showed real historical nonfiction through the underground and the bombs. Every time I closed the book, I regret it I just wanted to know more of these four!  

Personally, I absolutely love World War 2 themed stories and this on by far was the best I've read. I totally recommend this book it was a great read.   

Through this book I have learnt that the people actually slept in tunnels if they were without a home because of the bombing in London. Furthermore, I have also learnt about iron lungs as well it was sad to heat Ella's background story but exciting at the same time.  

Overall, I highly recommend this book it was a great read. 

Review by Ella, Richard Lander School 
The book I read - Under The London Sky by Anna Woltz - was very interesting because it was set in 1940 London during the Blitz and showed a lot about how people used to use the underground to shelter from bombs. It was also fascinating how much people’s everyday lives were affected by waiting in line for a place to stay the night and how quickly your life could be completely changed by potentially losing your house and all your belongings in just one night. I found the character Ella very intriguing because her story followed her life post-polio and how she dealt with a limp during that era. The book shows you how massively attitudes have changed towards physical impairments and how society now accommodates so much better for people with disabilities. I also loved her determination and bravery during the book and since the novel is told from her perspective I enjoyed being able to relate to the character and see events from her eyes. There wasn’t a character I didn’t like as I think all of their lives and individual developments depended very much on each other. All of them brought a different perspective on the varied lives of people through the Blitz and showed how even though all of these people led very different lives, everyone at that time came together and helped each other to survive. I think that the main message from the story is that even in the darkest of times and most terrifying circumstances, unexpected friendship and shared humanity can provide hope and light. The war forces the barriers of social classes, physical disabilities and gender stereotypes to be broken down and put aside, which allows all of the characters to connect on a deeper level. Personally, I would definitely recommend this book to another student because not only is it super interesting to learn about the past and see what it was like to live in that time period, it also holds a real message of hope and resilience which makes it a varied, unique and powerful story. I loved learning more about World War II and all of the pictures in the back of the book really helped bring the story to life and allowed you to really understand the hardships of everyday life back then. Overall, this book is one of courage, optimism and friendship - a very good read.